Salt, Sand and Sea
by darveysecretsanta2018
Summary: Darvey honeymoon in Australia; Donna realises she's pregnant.


**Prompt by GabrielMacht ( Harvey_SuitsFan):** Darvey honeymoon in Australia; Donna realises she's pregnant

.

It felt poetic that the second they settled into their honeymoon, napping to get used to the time zone, that Donna would be overwrought with a stomach bug. They had been in Melbourne, Australia for no longer than twelve hours and there she was, draped in light linens, breathable in the warm December weather. It was snowing back home, a thought that seemed to both make Harvey giddy and fill him with a homesickness that longed for this two-week period to be over.

It was hot when they landed, a sticky thickness that seemed to push down heavy on their shoulders in a way that felt welcome in the beginning. It had it's suffocating moments, overbearing on their travel-tired bodies as they moved from airport to car and through the shining city to their beach facing accommodation. Harvey thought it had been that at first, her body unable to acclimatise from the stale cabin pressure to a stifling and somewhat unexpected heat stronger than what they were used to. Donna had complained of a headache and light nausea as they stood waiting for their bags, listening to a canopy of accents dance around their ears. He thought it was just from stepping off the plane and into polarising airport lighting, or that gelatinous feeling in your stomach when you realise, you're somewhere different, somewhere new, somewhere foreign even in its familiarity. She hadn't travelled much, definitely not this far and it could easily be disorientating. From stepping through the doors at JFK International to landing in Melbourne, they had been travelling for twenty-four hours. They lost a day and got lost themselves in the motion of flight transfers and the drone of the airplane around them. It was easy to feel out of sorts, ears still ringing as their skin turned clammy, disorientated and tired despite the fact that they slept plenty on the plane.

Harvey acquired them the keys to a St Kilda apartment in Middle Park, a twenty-minute walk to the pier with Port Phillip Bay and city views. They could have paid for a hotel or an inner-city apartment but there was something about the idea of the two of them in a quiet little space of their own, living like the locals and taking an opportunity to settle into married life.

With Donna struck down by a vicious bout of jet lag––her eyes squeezed closed and her brow sweaty thanks to something other than the heat––they were certainly getting their first glimpse at married life. _In sickness and in health._ Ironic really, that she would make him act on their marital promises so soon.

When it came the time to pick a honeymoon destination Australia fell in their laps haphazardly and unexpectedly, much like their nuptials. Melbourne felt immediately appealing as neither of them had travelled all that far before.

Despite wanting a somewhat quiet destination, Harvey and Donna still wanted an edge of city life; hustle and bustle on paved streets that felt familiar and new. Activities and sightseeing weren't a priority as the newlyweds had no real plans to leave the walls of their apartment.

Harvey hadn't thought about how far the travel was and what that held for them and their weary bodies. In hindsight, that was convenient now, no schedule or reservation as Donna lay with her eyes squeezed closed and sweat building on her brow. 'How're you feeling?' He asked, reappearing after finally rousing to take a shower, exhaustion having beat them both when they arrived. Donna grunted as Harvey moved to open the curtains, only for a breeze and a little fresh air as the doors beyond them opened out onto the wrap around balcony. Her eyes stayed shut against the light, loose linen pulled up to her chin as her lips twisted in a frown.

Harvey sat beside her, his hand gentle on her hip, thumb smoothing soft circles across the sheets. 'I think I'm going to be sick.' Donna whined as she curled into herself tighter, her body forming a ball on the mattress. His hand moved from her hip to her back, gliding in firm strokes along her spine. 'What a start to our honeymoon.' She tried to give him a smirk, eyes opening for a moment just to flash him with a pained hazel gaze.

'You'll be fine.' He tried for reassuring, hand sweeping up her back as he leaned over to kiss her cheek. 'Maybe we can get up, go for a walk, find a quiet café and get you something to eat? You might feel better after coffee and sandwich?' Donna groaned, pulling in on herself for a second before her body uncoiled and her arms and legs kicked blindly at the sheets. She freed herself in a panicked hurry, only mildly assisted by Harvey's worried gaze and cautious hands before she pulled herself up and hurdled towards the bathroom.

The door barely closed behind her, swinging on its hinges as it graced the door jamb before it slowly swung back open again. He sat, motionless, listening to his wife throw up in the other room, her body undoubtedly curled around the toilet as her stomach heaved. It took him a minute to react, mind and body two separate entitles for a moment before he felt himself rewire, slip back into the present.

He followed her, trying not to listen to the sounds of her body punishing her for God knows what. Harvey picked up a face washer from the bathroom counter, ran in under cold water before ringing it out and wiping the cool relief across the back of her neck. Donna whimpered, a hand reaching back to squeeze his wrist in thanks before she took the cloth and ran it over her forehead. Harvey pulled back her hair, fly-aways and missed strands, his hands collecting it all in an attempt to move the warmth off the back of her neck. His fingers were delft in undoing her loose hair-tie before fixing her hair in a tighter, higher up do. It wasn't perfect, but it was something, a little relief where none was to be found. He shushed her, trying for soothing sounds as his hand took up its steady strokes against her back, Donna's ribs moving under his touch.

He tried to provide an easy comfort for as long as she needed it, the bathroom stark white around them as Donna heaved. 'Do you want to go see a doctor?' He asked, watching her with a concerned eye as Donna found the strength to lean herself against the cool white tiles.

Harvey watched her think about it, cogs of her mind spinning slowly as she weighed up the pros and cons. Donna have him a slow shake of her head, 'I'm feeling better'. He wasn't sure how well he believed it, looking at the pallor of her skin and red rimmed eyes. It was almost as if her body was rebelling against her mind, refusing to accept the words she was trying to force out as truth. Donna barely had a second before she was reaching towards the toilet again, stomach heavying up more fluids.

In the distance a tram dinged as it came to a stop at a nearby station, the seagulls cried, and the water lapped somewhere in their minds. Harvey felt powerless watching her.

'I think I might head out, go find a store, get you some ginger or crackers, dinner for tonight considering it probably won't be best if we go out. Will you be okay on your own?' He was filled with anxiety at the thought of leaving her when she needed him most but they weren't at home and a call for help wasn't so easily achieved here––so far as Harvey knew. Donna gave him a nod and a quiet mumble that she would be fine.

[…]

Harvey had managed the supermarket fairly well for a man who rarely stepped inside of one let alone in a foreign country where things were not quite the same. Different brands, names and colours had called for him, leaning off the shelves, trying to tumble into his basket in the confusion of what he needed.

He had been proud of himself when he returned with bags full of successful purchases: food to keep them alive on the here and there across their stay, crackers for Donna's nausea, as well as camomile tea and ginger. If he bought himself a pack of beers, it was to celebrate a job well done.

Harvey was leaning against the balustrade of the balcony, one such beer in his hand as Donna slept, curled in a ball, in the master bedroom behind him. Harvey had left the door open, allowing the curtains to dance in the salty breeze, hoping the fresh air would do his wife some good. He watched the horizon melt into late afternoon, the sky a myriad of painted colours; tangerine, peach, lemon, violet and turquoise, each shimmering off the bay with a hypnotising quality that seemed to lull him into the evening.

His phone rang without warning, buzzing on a table just to his right. It drew his attention, Harvey's heart hammering with the fright and his mind intent on stopping it before it pulled Donna out of her needed rest.

'You better be footing the bill for this call.' Harvey answered, smile tugging across his lips at the name on his screen and the request to FaceTime.

'In your dreams, old man.' Mike retorted, smile just as wide as the connection cleared and their faces filled the other's phone.

Harvey rolled his eyes, ignoring the comment on his age that had become familiar banter between the two of them over the last few years. 'Now, I faintly recall not bothering you or your wife while you were on your honeymoon. Miss me?'

'Just checking Donna hasn't changed her mind about you yet.' Harvey laughed, rolling his eyes at the younger man sitting an ocean away, whole worlds apart.

When this was done, honeymoon ticked off the list, Harvey and Donna would return to New York for Christmas with their families. Once the holiday season was finished and the new year had been celebrated, they were going to pack up their things, sell their homes and move to where Mike and Rachel had migrated to. Where Harvey had missed his friends, in recent weeks he had started to feel anxious at the sight of them. They _wanted_ to move. Harvey and Donna made that decision together but the closer it got, the more Harvey's feelings started to waver.

'She's too busy throwing up to change her mind.'

Mike grimaced, 'shit luck'. Harvey sighed, agreeing easily as he expressed concern for his wife's health. He couldn't remember the last time Donna had been sick and with a history as long as theirs, there was plenty of opportunity to see her unwell. 'You'll still be back for Christmas though, won't you?' Mike's face was drawn with concern, trying to read Harvey through the phone. It was moments like that Harvey remembered why they had given Mike the nickname _puppy_, large brown eyes staring at him, hoping he wouldn't spend a Christmas without the two people who made his family whole.

'I'm fine.' Came Donna's voice, light and tired. She slipped easily under Harvey's arm; her hand warm on his chest. 'We'll be home for Christmas, just as planned.' Harvey put down his beer, settling it against the balustrade to wrap his arm around her middle. She still looked a little grey, her skin and her eyes brushed with a sickly shine. Harvey gave her a comforting squeeze, unsure if it was for himself or for her.

'Great!' Mike beamed, concern disappearing from his cheeks. 'Rachel's found an apartment on the same block as us she thinks you guys will love.' Harvey swallowed hard, focusing on the light tilt to Donna's voice as she marvelled in Mike's words.

Noise rattled around behind Mike, the sounds of Rachel moving in her home before her voice was picked up on the microphone. 'What are you––Mike, leave them alone!'

'He missed us, it's cute.' Harvey teased, watching as Rachel's face came into view just as she finished rolling her eyes.

'Donna's got killer jetlag; it's not like they're busy making babies right now.' Mike shrugged like it was a perfectly reasonable excuse that his wife would accept. Rachel only rolled her eyes a second time before hitting him in the arm and reminding her husband that they would be seeing plenty of them once they move to Seattle.

'Goodnight.' Rachel told them, exasperation rolling towards her husband as she offered her friends a large and apologetic smile. 'I'll text you later, Donna.'

'How is texting not the same––' Mike started to argue just as the call was disconnected. Their friends returned to their life in Seattle as Donna and Harvey were shuttled back into their beachside moment, waves crashing against the shore. They were quiet for a moment, listening to the water move against dry land, the smell of the sea stuck in their noses in a way that seemed to strip them of New York completely.

Harvey ran a hand up Donna's back, comforting. 'Are you feeling better?' He asked and she nodded, her head falling against his shoulder as she moved. He dropped a kiss to her head as he squeezed her hip, hoping everything was on the up from here on out.

'Can we go to dinner?' Donna asked, hopeful as she lifted her head to meet his eyes.

'Yeah, ah, I can start cooking it now. Might take thirty minutes?'

'Can we go out?' This was their honeymoon; they were supposed to be seeing the world and canoodling within it. 'Honestly, I'm feeling much better.' Her smile definitely looked genuine, mega watt and mischievous behind still tired eyes. 'You're right, a walk and some food will do me good.'

[...]

They walked along the beach, taking their time with their arms linked together. There was no rush here, just light and a patience that seemed to tell them the world was theirs. They could make do with it as they pleased. Harvey had been right, the fresh air, a gentle motion, she felt better. Better than better, Donna felt _normal_ again.

They walked until Harvey felt his stomach rumble, the hour later once again as the streets seemed to fill with people heading home from work and settling into their leisure hours. They were barefoot in the sand, Harvey holding both of their shoes in his other hand as they watched the water chase itself in, then out again.

'This is nothing like home,' Donna chuckled, her hand squeezing his arm, eyes turned to the horizon.

'Melbourne held the title for World's Most Liveable City seven years running––until Vienna took the title in 2018.'

'Not very liveable anymore then, is it?' Donna quirked, chuckling beside him, still caught up in the easy ebb of the ocean only a few feet away from where they walked.

Harvey shrugged, eyes tracing the line of the tall palm trees that bordered the pavement beside the beach. 'I thought, I don't know, maybe we could come and make our own summation; see if we could live here.'

A seagull flew overhead, cawing as it did so, seeking out the discarded fish and chips in a trash can a little further down the beach. 'And why would we come here to live?' Donna prodded, Harvey pulling her attention as her eyes dragged from her contemplation of the deep blue to the unknown thoughts that sometimes swirled inside his mind.

Harvey shrugged. 'It's just, New York is home. I think it will always be but, we're not always going to be there, and other cities will pale in comparison if it's all we know.' Seattle. Their impending movie, Donna felt it as her stomach rolled at the thought, lurching with excitement and anxiety. 'I thought, maybe, if we see something else, experienced it, we had a little more to compare things to.' She was silent, focusing on the sounds of the water, the clatter of a tram door and the voices of people loudly moving about their lives. Her stomach rolled again, familiar nausea climbing up her throat as she squeezed her eyes shut to keep it at bay. 'I just––I don't know.' Harvey shrugged again, her arm moving with the movement of his. 'Mike mentioned once that he and Rachel might go and live abroad for a year or two, do something different, see the world. And I thought––'

'––That if they upped and left us in The Emerald City, we might have some semblance of where to jet off to ourselves?' Donna finished for him, in the way she always seemed to do; reading his thoughts before he could finish them. She smiled when their eyes met, grin tugging at her lips as the sunset behind them set her hair aglow.

Harvey leaned in, unable to help himself as he pressed his lips to her temple. 'New York isn't the only option.'

'I like the city.'

'And yet, we're moving.' He admitted mournfully.

Donna squeezed his arm. 'You can like somewhere and not live there.' The world was wide and vast, full of beautiful towns and exquisite cities. 'Home is with you.' She gave him another squeeze, smiling beautifully with all her might despite the corniness of the phrase. 'Seattle will be good for us, even for a little while. If Mike and Rachel leave, we can always go back to the city, or to Boston, Paris, Vienna––because now I'm curious.'

It wasn't like money wasn't an issue. If Harvey wanted to pick up that evening and fly again, across the world, she would follow him. Because they could. Why wait for their friends to abandon their post, when Harvey and Donna could jet set ahead of them, already had in a funny little way, starting their honeymoon and thinking about running away.

'Do you want to eat here?' He asked, their feet having moved them from the beach to the sidewalk and onto the street where a grand and white Victorian building that was teeming with patrons. _Eat where the locals eat_, a coined term thrown at both of them during their college years just as they headed out abroad.

Hotel Esplanade had been sitting there since 1878, an enriched and largely fought over piece of architectural history that had lived on the outskirts of Melbourne's beating heart. They found it, newly renovated and comfortable with a modern take on rustic vintage. Not their typical style but a meal that could satisfy their weary stomachs as they settled into a table by the window. The dining room was filled with the chatter of locals, Australian accents thick in their ears, inflection turning everything into a question as silverware clinked against crockery.

The dining room filled around them, tables occupied by couples and families, groups of friends out for a meal as they all watched the beach from wide windows. Donna had stopped watching the water, no longer drawn to it as her eyes settled on the glass of red wine sitting between the tips of her fingers. She hadn't touched it since it was set on the table in front of her.

A thought dawned across her mind, spreading from head to toe, circuiting down her arm and into her fingers. Mike's voice circled in her head, one word on loop as her fingers twitched against the stem of her glass but couldn't will herself to lift it. Her nausea resurged, fierce and angry, making Donna hold her breath.

'Hey, Donna?' Harvey's voice reached into her head, pulling her forward and into the present. 'You sure you're feeling alright?' She blinked at him once, twice, three times before her eyes could focus on the concerned angle of his brow. Donna knew, if she said _no_ he would get her out of there until there was nothing but fresh air and open spaces, the noise of the restaurant long gone.

Instead, Donna sucked in a deep breath and pushed a small and uncertain smile across her lips. 'I think I might be pregnant.' It tumbled out; mind still caught on what Mike said. _It's not like they're busy making babies right now._ Because she was sick, her stomach curled up in knots, her head dizzy. Harvey was fine, unaffected. And then, she thought about it, the two of them walking across the beach; the date, the consecutive days before that, the regularity of her period and how she hadn't––in all the pandemonium of the last few weeks––realised she was late.

Harvey stated, his expression unreadable for a moment before a smile started to tug at his lips, grin creasing in the corners of his eyes. She could swear his gaze was wet, tears building behind lids as he watched her. 'I thought that was supposed to happen after the honeymoon.' He chuckled, hand reaching across the table to squeeze hers as he shuffled his chair a little closer.

'I don't––I don't know if I am.' It just seemed to make _sense. _Ever since they hung up on their friends, Donna couldn't get the thought to move away from an instinctual gut feeling. She hadn't noticed before now, and of course she wouldn't. They got married unexpectedly and from there on our their lives have been a flurry of changing jobs and backing to move interstate. They had been too caught up in each other, in Forever, for Donna to keep track.

'Do you want to go find out?' He asked, hand raising to wipe a tear from her cheek. Their meals were finished, plates empty on the table, the room dull to their minds as they focused on one another.

Donna hated not knowing, disliked the lack of control she felt on a situation when she didn't have an immediate answer. She wanted nothing more than to leave the cosy restaurant for the answers that were waiting them, her stomach in knots of anticipation. It wasn't like Donna to be wrong, at all, if ever and yet she couldn't help but be concerned that maybe she misjudged this. It could just as easily be jet lag like she thought, or a virus only Donna was privy too, the bug yet to climb inside her husband's immune system.

Harvey stood, his hand never leaving hers as he tugged her up and into his embrace. With Donna tucked under his arm and a grin plastered on his cheeks, Harvey paid for their meal and escorted them back out onto the street.

'Do you want to have a baby?' Harvey asked as they strolled along the street looking for a pharmacy. The question had never come up, not once in fifteen years. He always assumed she didn't, but his thoughts were purely selfish. He had never asked, and Donna never shared. They were married but the conversation had yet to come up. Everything was one foot in front of the other, moving through it all at the pace they were given. He hadn't considered it.

Her answer was quiet, anxious and unsure. 'I don't know.' A small laugh followed, teeth sinking into her bottom lip as she pulled her body a little closer to his. 'I hadn't been thinking about it.' The beach stretched out to their left, waves rolling in and out, almost lulling them back out and into the water.

[…]

'I don't know if I want to look.' Donna gave in to a nervous laugh, hands wringing in front of her as she paced the length of their bedroom. The curtains were cast wide open, leaving nothing but an endless view of the bay, moonlight shining off the water. 'Why are you so calm right now?' She turned to her husband who was sitting on the bed, watching her with a funny little smile.

Harvey shrugged, 'What's there to be stressed about?' Despite his nonchalance, she could see the worry there, the slight fright waiting for confirmation before he freaked out. They were married now; he couldn't run all that far. 'We're married and there's nothing we can't do if we are together.' He shrugged, mischievous smile climbing across his cheeks.

'Oh, Mike is going to have a field day with you when he hears that one.' She teased.

He jumped up, defensive but playful. 'You wouldn't dare.' Donna only giggled, side stepping his approach as Harvey tried to catch her. He knew she would retell his statement to Mike the second the young man was standing in front of her, the two of them laughing, thick as thieves. Not that Harvey would admit it to either of them; he couldn't wait. 'You ready?' He asked, watching Donna gnaw on her lip for a second longer.

She gave him a short nod. 'You look, I'm nauseous enough.' Everything was up and down. Donna didn't know what she wanted but didn't want to hope too hard for a specific result. It was easy to run away with the possibilities of their future and if the store-bought tests came back negative after she had hyped herself up; Donna didn't know exactly how well she would cope.

Harvey was quiet, his eyes drawn toward the test in his hand, expression unreadable. She watched him, nervously fidgeting with her fingers as she tried to read the minute expressions twitching on his skin.

It felt like an eternity before Harvey lifted his head, a smile quirked against the corners of his lips. 'I guess we don't have to get Rachel anything for Christmas now.' Harvey turned the test towards her, allowing Donna to see the same thing he had; _positive_. 'All three of them.' He nodded towards the others, the backups in case one was faulty, the reassurance that it was _real._

'We're never going to have any personal space again.' Tears bubbled in her eyes, overflowing and falling down her cheeks as rolled her eyes around a fond smile.

Harvey shrugged, 'I mean, considering we have a stowaway on our honeymoon, I'm fine with it.' His relaxed smile warmed her, beaming brighter than the sun, reaching inside and soothing all the anxious parts of her. They still needed to get it confirmed and that could wait until they were home again, but for now even in this small bubble of plausible––highly likely––hope it was easy. 'Think of all the free babysitting.' He winked, hands reaching for her waist as Donna folded herself into his embrace, hands on his neck as her lips met his.

They were quiet, hearts beating between chests, lives as one as they were wrapped in the smell of the salt, the sand and the sea breeze. 'Harvey?' Donna pulled away; her hands gentle against the back of his head as his fingers squeezed concern at her hips. He hummed, mouths still inches apart, brown eyes hanging on her every word. 'If we're getting married again for our families, we have to go it before I get too big to fit into a dress.'

'You'll look beautiful.' She glared at him despite the warmth of his comment and the buzz it sent through her. 'We'll do it, soon. I promise.' For now, he was happily wrapped up with her, the two of them and their stowaway, ready to step into the warmth and ease of their relaxed holiday. Two weeks from now they would be home, celebrating the holidays with their families and friends. It would be hectic then, the weather, the conversation, the long list of things they needed to do, and the short amount of days left to do it all in. For now, this was them, exactly where they needed to be, basking in each other, in the quiet and the invisible presence of the future that lingered ever present in the front of their minds.


End file.
